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civity supports the European Commission in the development of the PRIME Benchmarking Report for the seventh time

With the support of civity, the Platform of Rail Infrastructure Managers in Europe (PRIME) has released its seventh benchmarking report. This report provides a comprehensive overview of the safety, performance, revenues, and expenditures of 21 European rail infrastructure managers, covering the years 2018 to 2022. This period was marked by significant challenges for the railway sector, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the onset of Russia's war against Ukraine. Are these challenges visible in the report? On which fields have they had an impact? The report delves into these questions, providing detailed insights into the state of the rail infrastructure sector during these years.

Key findings:

  • Train activity: One of the key findings of the report is the near return to pre-pandemic levels of train activity in 2022, following the lifting of most travel restrictions. Some infrastructure managers even surpassed their 2019 activity levels. However, passenger numbers have not fully recovered, with factors such as remote work and ongoing health concerns influencing new mobility patterns.
  • Freight train activity: While freight train activity was less impacted by the pandemic, it experienced a decline in the Baltic states. LTGI’s train activity dropped by 66% compared to 2021, and EVR’s by 44%, a situation exacerbated by the geopolitical tensions resulting from Russia’s war against Ukraine.
  • Punctuality rates: During the pandemic, punctuality rates increased. However, with the rise in train activity in 2022, passenger punctuality levels returned to pre-pandemic figures. Freight train punctuality, however, has seen an improvement, now averaging 57% in the peer group.
  • Financial development: Investing in rail infrastructure remains essential for maintaining high standards and improving rail performance for European rail infrastructure managers. From 2018 to 2022, operational expenditures experienced a modest increase of 1.5%, while capital expenditure rose by nearly 10%. However, the real increase is lower when considering inflation in critical materials such as steel and operational costs like energy.

The report in detail can be found on the PRIME website.